South Korea’s largest copyright group enforces 0% AI rule

South Korea’s largest music copyright collective, the Korean Music Copyright Association (KOMCA), has implemented a new policy banning the registration of songs that involve any use of artificial intelligence (AI).

As reported by Music Business Worldwide, songwriters must now confirm that their work contains “0%” AI input to be eligible for registration and royalties.

Effective March 24, 2025, all registrants must check a box affirming their work was “created solely through human creative contributions”.

Those found to have falsely declared a song as AI-free face serious consequences, including withholding of royalties, deletion of the work, and legal liability.

“Creators will also have to agree to assume legal responsibility for all civil and criminal disputes arising from false reports,” KOMCA stated on its website.

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KOMCA, which manages over 3,7 million works by 30,000 members, including BTS, Psy, and EXO, emphasised the urgency of its stance, citing a rapid increase in AI-generated music.

“Due to recent advancements in AI technology, the amount of music output using AI is rapidly increasing,” the association said.

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According to Digital Music News, this zero-tolerance rule marks a significant divergence from broader South Korean policy, which permits partial copyright for human contributions to AI-assisted works, and from the U.S. Copyright Office, which states that works may still be copyrighted if they include a “sufficient” amount of human expression.

KOMCA admits the policy may evolve, but for now, South Korea’s songwriters must choose: stay fully human or risk losing protection and forfeiting royalties.

Via: Music Business Worldwide

Amira Waworuntu is Mixmag Asia’s Managing Editor, follow her on Instagram.

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